Spirited News & Observations II -- NGE/Baxter

[ChevisMickey]

Let's Go Red Wings!!

Can't find the dislike button!

 

[tracyandalex]

To bring this thread sorta back to NGE, have any other passholders noticed this on the passholder website:

• Note: If you purchased a new pass or converted your pass to one of the new Passholder cards after March 19, 2013, then your Passholder affiliation cannot be added online at this time. To purchase tickets and receive your Passholder discount, please call (407) 560-PASS or (407) 560-7277.

I received this lovely message the other day while trying to view passholder discounts for a trip we are thinking of taking in a few months. On one computer I can access all of the passholder site I'n assuming because of the cookies? On my other computer however when I try to view anything on the passholder site aside from the main page I get the above message. I find this quite comical considering that I was encouraged several times to switch to the new card and no where was it mentioned that I would not be able to access the website after the switch. I HATE calling for simple things that I should be able to do online. Any suggestions of where/how to file my complaint?
Also, upon entering EPCOT 2 weeks ago I was asked to give my email for a survey. Now that I have completed the survey I found some of the questions interesting and since I love me some pixie dust I hope the questions indicate that things may be coming to EPCOT. Most of the responses required me to actually type responses rather than just putting a numerical value to my feelings. The questions I remember:

• the select an answer question was about how much merchandise I had purchased and then the follow up was to explain why I chose that answer
• there was another question about the attractions I experienced and something related to up keep
• a question about cast member friendliness and helpfulness with a follow up to name a specific event where a cast member made my day particularly magical
• a question about any Limited Time magic I may have experienced
• asking if I had seen the F&G festival with a follow up about the food booths
• would I recommend Epcot to others
• did I have enough time to see everything I wanted to see (that one was hard because there was EMH so I did, but only because of that)
• did I participate in any character experiences, there was 1 or 2 follow up questions that I can't remember
• there was also a question or 2 about dining that I can't really remember
• one of my favorite questions was about the value I received for the price I paid and why
• it also asked if I was attending any other parks (UO,SW, etc) and which ones, I don't remember there being a why, but perhaps I didn't get that question since I wasn't attending any other parks.

I found it to be quite an interesting survey. I do however fear that my email is on a blacklist now after the answers I provided - oh well I was honest!

 

[Bolna]

To bring this thread sorta back to NGE, have any other passholders noticed this on the passholder website:

Yes, I just recently got my first ever AP and was going to play around on the website and then I saw the same notice. I was rather put out about it as well. Especially since calling for me would mean a transatlantic phone call...

Also, upon entering EPCOT 2 weeks ago I was asked to give my email for a survey. Now that I have completed the survey I found some of the questions interesting and since I love me some pixie dust I hope the questions indicate that things may be coming to EPCOT. Most of the responses required me to actually type responses rather than just putting a numerical value to my feelings.

I just finished a similar survey, even though it was not park specific. But I did get the same questions about value. And for a number of ratings and answers I was asked to explain my answers. The questions that I found most interesting were about how much I had planned the trip and especially every single day in advance, whether I had a smart phone, whether I had any device to contact the internet while on vacation, whether I visited Disney's website before and/or during the trip. To me some of it sounded like research that ought to have been done before starting to spend money on nextgen.

 

[tracyandalex]

Yes, I just recently got my first ever AP and was going to play around on the website and then I saw the same notice. I was rather put out about it as well. Especially since calling for me would mean a transatlantic phone call...

I just finished a similar survey, even though it was not park specific. But I did get the same questions about value. And for a number of ratings and answers I was asked to explain my answers. The questions that I found most interesting were about how much I had planned the trip and especially every single day in advance, whether I had a smart phone, whether I had any device to contact the internet while on vacation, whether I visited Disney's website before and/or during the trip. To me some of it sounded like research that ought to have been done before starting to spend money on nextgen.

Wow, if I had to make a transatlantic call I would be even more annoyed then I already am. I forgot about all the tech questions!! I got those questions too - in park WiFi, resort WiFi, tap to enter, using the app to make dining reservations, etc. I am hoping this is research to continue to improve the services and not just find out how much of a mess nextgen might be.

 

[SirOinksALot]

The smartest thing Disney could do is hold prices steady longer than usual and force Universal to make the move because they need the pricing relief much more than Disney right now.

Ah yes, quoted for absolute truth.

Funny, I say they're desperate for pricing relief and what do you know, they raise prices. Sounds as though someone has information.... information that may have come from a location that is... in the interior of a space. Universal has never taken the lead with price increases, but Disney was never going to take the lead this year.

All back-slapping aside, Universal is bullish? Ha. Was bullish.

What are you supposed to do when a plane stalls? Point the nose down, smash the throttle, and hope it levels out before the ground hits. Things stalled at Universal and they smashed the throttle but the ground, aka their Comcast minders, are closing in very fast.

 

[SirOinksALot]

Point 1 is just silly. There's no evidence that operating costs rose by more than revenue, either for the company as a whole or for the theme park division. That isn't in the report. Even if it was, it isn't ALWAYS the case that this is a bad thing, as there could be reasons for a jump in operating costs that signal strength, rather than weakness. But that's beside the point, because it didn't happen.

Perhaps you mean that operating costs appear to have increased for the theme park division at a higher percentage than revenue did, which is why operating cash flow rose at a lower rate than revenue, but revenue increased by more dollars than operating expenses did. That does seem to have happened. Far from never being good, this situation is usually good. Would you rather earn higher margin percentage or higher margin dollars? If that's all the info you have, the answer is higher dollars. Earning $100,000 on $1,000,000 in revenue is a 10% return. But given a choice, I'd rather earn $160,000 on $2,000,000 in revenues, even though that's only an 8% return. Sure, there are times when the growth of expenses faster than revenue on a percentage basis could indicate problems, but as long as revenues are growing by more dollars than expenses are, you're increasing profits, which is a good thing.

Unfortunately for Uni's managers though, Comcast didn't think point 1 was silly. Margin erosion 20+ years into the game doesn't go over too well.

And the info is in there. Page 32.

 

[flynnibus]

Ah yes, quoted for absolute truth.

Funny, I say they're desperate for pricing relief and what do you know, they raise prices. Sounds as though someone has information.... information that may have come from a location that is... in the interior of a space. Universal has never taken the lead with price increases, but Disney was never going to take the lead this year.

All back-slapping aside, Universal is bullish? Ha. Was bullish.

You may want to look around before you quote yourself and pat yourself on the back again. Because you're wrong.

Universal raised prices first last year, and then again, after Disney one-up'd them. Universal was the first to raise prices again this season.
http://www.cfnews13.com/content/new.../6/7/theme_park_wars_univ.html?cmpid=facebook

 

[SirOinksALot]

Ah yes, the other summer of post-Potter craze, no Jaws that I've referenced multiple times.

Maybe they'll get thrown a bone this year with a one-uppage again.

Remember when 74 had a go at you for conflict of interest or something ridiculous about NGE? Yeah, I sat on my hands with the killer response. Sorry.

 

[MichWolv]

Unfortunately for Uni's managers though, Comcast didn't think point 1 was silly. Margin erosion 20+ years into the game doesn't go over too well.

And the info is in there. Page 32.

Page 32 confirms that operating costs rose LESS than revenue rose, but in a higher percentage. It confirms that operating income before depn and amortization ROSE.

It may very well be that Comcast was unhappy with the results. That isn't on page 32, of course. Is it someplace else? Or do you have a source? Margin dollar gains with margin % losses is, on balance, better than the alternative in most cases. So if Comcast was unhappy, it isn't purely because of the numbers themselves, but because they were expecting something else.

 

[SirOinksALot]

Right, margin erosion. It's like if I sold you a hamburger for $1 that cost me 50 cents to make, then I sold the next person a $1 hamburger but it cost me $60 cents to make. Yeah, you have more dollars, and then your boss is going to come asking why that extra burger was more costly than the first one.

It's cool man. You're talking in academic book land, I'm talking in cubicle, how things went down land. I'm not saying that what you're saying is functionally incorrect, I'm saying there's a difference.

What time is Uni open until tonight? 9pm? Maybe I should just go ride some rides. I'd go to IoA but it's been running shorter hours than AK all year. And we all know how Disney is about their park hour cuts

 

[jt04]

Jungle Cruise (Move to DAK) Diamond Horseshoe (convert to Ghirardelli Chocolate Company) Riverboat (drydock and add restaurant) Iasw (add annual refurb) Pan (add annual refurb) SGE (Stitch to Tiki, install new show) SM (leave it retro) TTA (fix the clackety clack/add more visuals) CoP (put on flatbed to DCA) Wishes (meh) Spectro (MSEP forever) SSE (finish it/remove LAL) UOE (new theme or new convention hall/hotel) JII (gut it and give it a new theme) Showcase (eliminate the gates and add third parties! You heard me ) RoE (add elements of proper scale) Most of DHS (Star Wars Land/Pixar Land) EE (fine as is) Kali (build as originally intended paid for with Eisner stock) Dino (add annual refurb)

Fix the foundations before adding roof tiles.

Done!

 

[the.dreamfinder]

...

 

[HenryMystic]

Curious, if Potter isn't sustainable then what the heck is Avatarland?

Combined, both phases of Potter will likely equal Avatars budget (or maybe edge it out slightly.) Tim and Sir Oinks, do you think Avatar will bring 2 consecutive years of 30% growth and the merchandise numbers of Potter?

Avatar is an unknown, but it sure seems riskier and more shortsighted then Diagon Alley.

I want to commend Flynn on his quality posts in this discussion, and say I wish @WDW1974 would return soon.

 

[CDavid]

Curious, if Potter isn't sustainable then what the heck is Avatarland?

.

I was just thinking the same thing, actually. If Potter isn't sustainable over the long term there wouldn't seem to be any hope for Avatar.

Of course, it's far more likely Harry Potter has a brighter future than Avatar regardless of what WDW does or doesn't build. I can think of far better (and less risky) ways to invest $1 billion in the parks, on proven franchises with established longevity.

 

[xdan0920]

With that logic, literally ANYTHING can go in Islands of adventure as long as it's an island. Isn't that what people don't like about DHS's so-called identity crisis.

IOA is a grouping of different themed lands. Very much like the MK. I just don't see any thematic problems with different lands bordering one another. The same way I have no problem with LIberty Square bordering fantasy land.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Diamond Horseshoe (convert to Ghirardelli Chocolate Company) Riverboat (drydock and add restaurant) SGE (Stitch to Tiki, install new show) SM(leave it retro) CoP (put on flatbed to DCA) Wishes (meh) Spectro(MSEP forever) SSE (finish it/remove LAL) UOE (new theme or new convention hall/hotel) JII (gut it and give it a new theme) Showcase (eliminate the gates and add third parties! You heard me ) EE (fine as is)

Done!

I am so glad you're not a TDO exec, but you'd fit right in if you think EE is fine as is. I can't even begin to address the wrongness of the above suggestions.

 

[George]

Page 32 confirms that operating costs rose LESS than revenue rose, but in a higher percentage. It confirms that operating income before depn and amortization ROSE.

I found page 32 to be a NSFW laugh riot.

 

[disney fan 13]

Curious, if Potter isn't sustainable then what the heck is Avatarland?

Combined, both phases of Potter will likely equal Avatars budget (or maybe edge it out slightly.) Tim and Sir Oinks, do you think Avatar will bring 2 consecutive years of 30% growth and the merchandise numbers of Potter?

Avatar is an unknown, but it sure seems riskier and more shortsighted then Diagon Alley.

I want to commend Flynn on his quality posts in this discussion, and say I wish @WDW1974 would return soon.

Quoted for truth. Some people here are hypocrites.

 

[jt04]

I am so glad you're not a TDO exec, but you'd fit right in if you think EE is fine as is. I can't even begin to address the wrongness of the above suggestions.

I would love to add five E-Tickets every year but the financials just won't support it. The thing about my ideas is they account for accounting, maintenance, ops and every other factor. Ultimately the pixie dust is just for show. It is a business at its foundation. Which is why Universal announced a ticket price increase today.

 

[George]

IOA is a grouping of different themed lands. Very much like the MK. I just don't see any thematic problems with different lands bordering one another. The same way I have no problem with LIberty Square bordering fantasy land.

My suggestion for Disney to build "Disney's Islands of Fun Stuff to do Park" avoids a lot of thematic problems including "border distraction" since each island will be 3.2 miles apart and only connected to the other islands by zip lines. I just hope they don't get bogged down in too many nit picky legal technicalities with Barry Potter island...